Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Laura Hall Sentencing Pronounced and (Part 1) More from Today

I'm working backwards here, because I presume most of you know by now that around 4:45 today, after approximately 6 hours of deliberation, the jury recommended that Laura Hall be sentenced to 5 years in prison w/no monetary fines. Judge Flowers accepted their recommendation. Hall's family showed little outward emotion that I observed. Hall, herself, appeared to look straight ahead (after being cuffed by a female sheriff's deputy) as she was guided out the door of the courtroom.

But shortly before Hall was led out of the courtroom, Jennifer Cave's mother, Sharon Cave, took the stand for "allocution," which is what most of us know as a victims' impact statement. Sharon Cave addressed Hall directly, saying there were some things she (Sharon) wanted Hall to know about the difference between Hall and Jennifer Cave. Sharon Cave said, among other things--sorry, I didn't catch every word--

"Unlike you, Laura, people loved Jennifer. Unlike you, Jennifer had a beautiful heart and a family who loved her. To use Sawyer's word, you are an odious thing. If there's a hell, I hope you burn in it! Because what you and Colton did was horrific."

The judge gave jurors the choice to stay and listen to the allocution or go back into the jury room. Four jurors stayed, one of whom was the presiding juror.

Afterwards, Hall's attorney, Joe James Sawyer, made a press statement. Among his statements and answers to reporters' questions were the following:

Sawyer's (& on behalf of Hall's family) overall reaction to sentence? ( not exact quotes but not too far off here, so I'm going to put them in quotation marks:)

"Disappointed--it's pretty weird when the defense wants their client's (police) statement/confession admitted into evidence and the State objects" (an objection sustained by Judge Flowers & preserved for appellate record by Sawyer.) Sawyer said they'd appeal within 30 days & try to get (within the next few days) an appellate bond set to get Hall out, pending her appeal and that Hall maintains her innocence, that "this story was spun by Colton and (perpetuated by) the media..."

"Disappointed because the police never interviewed Jason Mack...the police are supposed to investigate each and and every lead and they didn't do it! I couldn't find Mack: had he not been so disturbed & gotten himself here on his own dime, we might never had heard from him."

I must now back up here and describe Jason Mack's testimony, for the defense, from this morning, as well as the rest of this morning's testimony. But first I've got to take a break and eat. More later.
--Iris

3 comments:

Unknown said...

What exactly was in the messages sent to JC's little sister?

Iris said...

ALbert,

Nothing was presented in this trial ( or Pitonyak's, I don't think,) in or out of the presence of the jury, about this. I've only heard rumors and have been told that somewhere on the Court TV website, there's an interview Scott Engle gave to Vinnie Politan on his Sirius satellite radio show awhile back.

TeenDream said...

Albert, the messages sent to JC's sister were very obscene, I'm sure you can use your imagination, as I believe the moderator wouldn't allow it to be said here. I'm sure you could google Scott Engle and Vinnie Politan and you could find it. Just know that it's filthy, sick stuff.